The Watch on tour in the UK

[revporl]

Italian Genesis tribute band The Watch are touring the UK at the moment, I'm going to see the in Manchester tonight. This tour is one set of "Gabriel Plays Live" (so first 4 PG albums), then second half is "The Lost Duke Suite" which I guess is the Intro/BTL/GV/DT/DE turned into one piece of music (I'm really looking forward to that in particular) and then "Best of '76 tour". I'm pretty sure they're doing Super's Ready too.

A bit of a mish mash this one, but I've seen them do Seconds Out and TLLDOB over the last couple of years and they were superb. Their "Steve Hackett" is particularly good, hope he can do David Rhodes and Daryl Sturmer as well tonight!

[r2daft2]

I'm going to this gig too - I've never seen them before and haven't heard any of their albums either but have had a recommendation that they put on a good show.
I like the Band on the Wall too - it's my favourite "small" Manchester venue.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Italian Genesis tribute band The Watch

Is this what they are billed as nowadays? What an utter bummer fate for a rock group whose initial intentions were to establish their own creative career.

[revporl]

Yeah they usually play a couple of originals which is when most people go to the bar.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Wow. That's actually downright sad.

Some "vitality" for "progressive rock".

Of course, I shouldn't be too surprised - The Watch were already doing this when I saw them here in Oslo some 8-9 years back. And the audience as well; "[...] I came here to hear them play Genesis, not that other shit". In those days the band were still priding themselves in making original material that sounded uncannily like a logical continuation of Gabriel-era Genesis, but I guess this neither wasn't too interesting in the ears of the casual listener.

[rickawakeman]

I've seen them twice and love both their original material and their performance of Genesis material.

[Scott Bails]

This tour is one set of "Gabriel Plays Live" (so first 4 PG albums), then second half is "The Lost Duke Suite" which I guess is the Intro/BTL/GV/DT/DE turned into one piece of music (I'm really looking forward to that in particular) and then "Best of '76 tour". I'm pretty sure they're doing Super's Ready too.

That's an interesting setlist. I'd go to something like that.

Sounds like I have to check out some of their original material, too.

[Joe F.]

Yeah they usually play a couple of originals which is when most people go to the bar.

I only saw them once. I was on business in the UK and saw them at the Robin 2 in Bilston. They put on a good show. It was all Genesis covers except for 3 originals. I didn't see many people heading to the bar though.

[Animal]

I always loved their originals, the early albums in particular, including the Nightwatch release.
But every review accused them of "aping" Genesis, so I guess they can't win.

[Scrotum Scissor]

But every review accused them of "aping" Genesis, so I guess they can't win.

I'd say it was fairly much more than a mere accusation. It's still sad to see that the ensuing logic would imply the conclusion "We sound just like Genesis anyway, so we should might consider sticking to covers of their stuff".

[Animal]

^^ not denying that they had a sound patterned after Genesis, but the compositions were high quality, imho.

I agree that it's sad they have gone this direction...

[bill g]

Yeah, their music is intended to sound like Genesis. To scratch the itch for those who crave new material that sounds like PG era Genesis. I thought 'Planet Earth' was particularly good, I think 'Something Wrong' is the song I especially like. Their instrumental breaks are so good, its a shame they don't do more of them.

I think they hoped to attract more followers in their original material by focusing on the Genesis covers. Its really sad that they are still needing to do this. They deserve better.

[revporl]

That was a fantastic show tonight. I'm not that big a fan of solo PG but they handled his early catalogue really well (Mother of violence, On the air and here comes the flood were particularly good), Duke was great, and should of course have been one bit of music in the first place and there was dance on a volcano, ripples, lamb, cage. Only one of their own songs tonight, and as has been mentioned, it did sound exactly like a lost early Genesis track.

[r2daft2]

I really enjoyed this show too.
I thought the setlist was particularly good - considering that SH has been touring Genesis Revisited and PG touring So, The Watch appeared to have specifically selected material that these two tours had been omitting with only a very small overlap. Consequently the material played was particularly welcome (PG songs from the first 4 albums only, Duke Medley (the only post-Hackett Genesis material included), Cinema Show, In the Cage, LLDOB etc.).
The downside to them only playing one of their own songs was that I didn't feel particularly enthusiastic about picking up a CD - and I didn't!